Tijuana man’s disappearance investigated

Police are investigating the disappearance of Jose Alberto Ortigoza, right, who has been missing since Jan. 24, 2014, after crossing the border at Otay Mesa to do business for his Tijuana employer. He's shown with his wife, Denise Reneteria, and their 2-year-old son.
— Family photo

Police are investigating the disappearance of Jose Alberto Ortigoza, right, who has been missing since Jan. 24, 2014, after crossing the border at Otay Mesa to do business for his Tijuana employer. He's shown with his wife, Denise Reneteria, and their 2-year-old son.
/ Family photo

San Diego  San Diego police are investigating the suspicious disappearance of a Tijuana man who was last seen on Jan. 24 when he crossed into the United States at the Otay Mesa border to do business for his employer, a wholesale spice and grain company.

Jose Alberto Ortigoza, 26, walked across the border about 3 p.m., en route to his employer’s sister company on Airway Road, but he has not been seen since, police said at a news conference Tuesday at department headquarters.

He may be traveling in a 2008 or a later model GMC Acadia Crossover vehicle, police Lt. Kevin Mayer said. Police said there has been no activity on his cellphone.

Ortigoza’s wife, Denise Reneteria, said his disappearance is out of character and that he is a family man who spends most of his time at home with their 2-year-old son.

“This is affecting me terribly,” a tearful Reneteria, 26, said in Spanish through a translator. “The family relies on him to be the head of the household, both financially and spiritually.”

Ortigoza frequently crosses the border on business for Especies y Granos de Baja California, Mayer said.

The company’s owner, Miguel Ramos, said Ortigoza is a diligent employee who has worked for him for about six years. “He is a good man and a hard worker who wanted to prosper,” Ramos said in Spanish through a translator.

A $5,000 reward fund has been established for information about Ortigoza’s whereabouts, with Ramos contributing $3,000. Reneteria contributed $1,000 as did Crime Stoppers.

Anyone with information about the disappearance is asked to call police at (619) 531-2293 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.